Means for propelling pleasure boats



Feb. 18, 1936. s. STONE 2,031,339

MEANS FOR PROPELLING PLEASURE BOATS Filed Oct. 6, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR I 5am Starla ATTORNEY Feb, 19 3. s. STONE MEANS FOR PROPELLING PLEASURE BOATS Filed Oct. 6, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR I 5 am fife ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 18, I936 UNETED STATES V IWEAN S FOR PROPELLING PLEASURE BOATS Sam Stone, Seattle, Wash.

Application October 6,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to pleasure boats and particularly to means for operating the same.

In the use of bicycle mechanisms for propelling boats, the feet and legs of the operators soon become wearied from the effort required to revolve the paddle wheel. And it is one object of my invention to provide separate and compound power means to be operated by either the legs or arms alternately, or by several persons simultaneously by power applied by separate persons to the cranks on the drive shaft.

Another object is to provide a boat with a paddle wheel mounted substantially midway therein with a shaft affixed through the center of the wheel, and crank arms bent in the shaft adjoining the wheel on each side thereof; and the outer ends of the shaft mounted beyond the crank arms for rigidity, with power bars pivotally connected tothe cranks and extending forward and back from the Wheel to be operated by persons from opposite ends of the boat by pulling and pushing with the hands, or by foot power on the bars. Said wheel also adapted to be .driven by one person by alternate use of hands and feet or by several persons acting simultaneously by hands of some, and or, by the feet of others.

With these and other objects as will hereinafter appear, I have illustrated my invention by the accompanying drawings, of which Figure 1 is a plan view with a cover hood removed,

Figure 2 is a section view on line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view, showing the tops of the hood, seats, and steering gear,

Figure 4 is a section view on line 44 of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a section view on line 5-5 of Figure 2, showing concave faces of paddle blades,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view of the front power bar showing the connecting eyes.

Like numerals on the different figures reprefor the bearings of the outer ends of the power' shaft l4, centrally on this shaft is aflixed the paddle wheel l5 and between the wheel and the side walls of the frame, the shaft is provided with oppositely projecting crank arms l6 and H, which 1934, Serial No. 747,193

swing above the deck. The bent parts of the crank, adjacent the wheel, are aflixed thereto by clamps l8 at some distance from the hub i9 and so provide rigidity for a thin or narrow wheel so designed to offer little obstruction to the water beneath. The mounting of the shaft at its outer ends also leaves sufficient space at each side of the wheel for application of driving force, and without the danger of .bending the ends of the shaft, that is often encountered in the ordinary form of bicycle pedals.

Paddle blades 20 are attached at suitable distances around the periphery of the wheel. These are preferably provided with concave faces as shown in Figure 6, and may be-retained in suitable position'by a wire hoop 2b.

The cranks and wheel are revolved by means of a. number of power bars. Rear fiat bars 2i and 2| are pivotally connected at their front ends upon the crank arms and extend back to any desired point and terminate in handles 22, for manual use. A seat 23 is provided at that point to accommodate one operator who may revolvethe wheel by hand operation of the bars. Cleats 24 are provided near the rear ends of these bars, and said operator may also operate said bars by pushing with his feet against these cleats.

A high seat 25 is provided for the central operator, and cleats 28 are also provided near the front ends of said bars to assist such principal operator in positioning of his feet on the front end of the bars 2| and 2! which are then used as treadles for revolving the cranks and paddle wheel. Rollers 21 and 28 aflixed to spindles 29 and 30 are mounted beneath the paths of bars 20 and 2|. When such bars are driven by the feet of either operator, they rest upon such rollers and are facilitated thereby in their reciprocating motions.

The ends of the spindles are mounted in curved runways 3| which permit the rollers to shift their positions as the bars move to and fro, and. thereby reduce the up and down swing of the rear ends of the bars 2! and 2| as the cranks revolve.

Auxiliary power bars 32 with handles 32 are provided for use by a front operator who may be seated on any stool 33. These latter bars extend forward from the cranks and are rotatably connected thereto by grip eyes 34 which fit down over the rounded crank arms at each side of the treadle bars. These front bars are easily detached when not required for the use of the front operator.

A well or opening 35 through the deck, is provided to permit the lower portion of the wheel and paddles to revolve therethrough and a curbing or coam 36 is built up around the well approximately level with the top of frame l2. A cover or hood 31 is supported by the well coam and the sides of both the coam and hood are cut away to provide a circular opening 38 to permit the swing of the cranks.

In order to prevent any splashing or dripping of water through this opening from the paddles, I provide thin flanges 39 and 49 with beaded edges 4 l, around the faces of the wheel at a point outside the opening 38 and within the hood and. curb. The curbing is carried beneath the deck below the lower line of the flange, as at 42, and the joint between the hood and coam is provided with an angles line 43, all whereby the water is effectually kept from the cranks.

In order to steer the craft I provide a rudder 44 at the stern with a tiller 45 which may swing between the legs of the rear stool 23. The tiller is controlled by guide cables 66 and 41 carried therefrom forward along the outer sides of the craft up to and around pulleys 43 and 49 forward from the hood. The cables are then brought back and attached to the outer and opposite ends of a handle bar 50, which latter is pivotally attached to the top of the hood.

Arrows are shown on the handle bar and indicate to the inexperienced, which way to turn the handle, to cause the craft to travel in the direction desired.

As a means for steadying the craft in rough water, or, and, for causing the craft to pitch while moving upon still water, I have provided a control blade 52. This blade may consist of a rectangular piece of sheet metal mounted horizcntally between the floats. The front end is supported by a hinge rod 54, spaced beneath the deck by a post 55. The rear end is supported by a control lever 56 connected to the plate by a pivot pin 51. The lever is slidably mounted through a slot 58 in the deck and is provided with an operating handle 59 at the top. A series of notches 69 along the edge of the lever enables the operator to latch the plate at any desired position by sliding the notches over the adjacent deck. When the plate is held parallel with the floats the pitching of the craft is reduced while riding over waves. When the operator desires to frighten or amuse passengers on still water the rear end of the plate may be alternately lowered to or beneath the dotted line 53 and then raised to any point above the same, to the top of the water line. Such movements of the plate will cause the bow of the craft to rise and fall slightly, in accordance with the speed of the boat.

While I have primarily designed the craft for pleasure, the power means may be adapted to commercial uses, and may be also adapted to ordinary boats by the construction of a central well therein for the paddle wheel.

In some cases it may also be advisable to close the side openings through the hood and coam leaving only a central passageway for the shaft hub. In such form the cranks would revolve parallel with the outer sides of the hood and coam and the shaft hub be affixed through the wheel in any suitable manner.

Having described my invention, I now claim as new:

1. A pleasure boat comprising a pair of floats, a deck connecting said floats, means for propelling the boat, a blade pivoted to said boat at its forward end and arranged below said deck and clear of the water when in horizontal position and means for oscillating said blade about its pivot to cause the blade to alternately engage the surface of the water and be free of the same to slightly lift the forward end of the boat from the water simulating the motions of a boat in rough water.

2. A pleasure boat comprising a pair of floats, a deck connecting said floats, means for propelling the boat, a blade pivoted at its forward end to said boat and arranged below said deck and clear of the water when in horizontal position, and means connected to its rearward end to support said blade at any predetermined position causing the blade to engage the surface of the water and thereby preventing pitching motion of the boat.

3. A pleasure boat comprising a pair of floats, a deck connecting said floats, a well in said deck, a paddle wheel mounted in said well, crank arms connected to said wheel for turning the same and thereby propelling said boat, bars connected to said crank arms, handles at the end of said bars whereby the bars may be manually actuated to turn the paddle wheel, foot rests also on said bars to permit the use of the feet for operating the paddle wheel, a seat carried above the bars to form a support for an operator using the foot rests, curved runways carried below said bars, spindles carried in said runways and adapted to move therein rollers supporting said bars carried on the spindles, said rollers following an arcuate path in supporting the bars when said bars are operating.

SAM STONE. 

